First person point of view stories rest on the voice of the narrator. The reason I love the Dresden Files so much is because Harry is an interesting observer and commentator. The narrator needs to observe things in ways that the reader wouldn’t and delight us with their personal monologue. This is tough to do, but when it’s done right, it’s a thing of beauty. Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief excels at this. The main character, Kinch, is interesting, funny, and just self-aware enough to note when bad things are going to happen. Yet, because he worships the god of mischief, he can’t help but nudge those bad things into motion.
Disclaimer: The publisher provided an eARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions that follow are mine alone.
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TL;DR
The Blacktongue Thief opens a new and must read fantasy series. It blew me away. Kinch is my new favorite character in fantasy, and I can’t wait to learn more about his world. Highly recommended.
From the Publisher
Set in a world of goblin wars, stag-sized battle ravens, and assassins who kill with deadly tattoos, Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief begins a ‘dazzling’ (Robin Hobb) fantasy adventure unlike any other.
Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path.
But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants.
Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva’s. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.
Review: The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
The Blacktongue Thief opens with the main character, Kinch na Shannack working with a group of thieves looking for their next score strolling along the highway. A stranger comes walking down the road, and Kinch gets a bad feeling. After all, what type of person would walk alone in a wooded area with brigands about? Kinch’s companions should have listened to his warnings, but instead, their greed gets them in trouble and sets him free to find another job. Only Kinch owes the Takers (thieves) Guild. The Takers are serious about their debts, and when Kinch got a little behind, the Guild tattooed his face. Anyone may slap him in a tavern to claim a drink paid for by the Guild. Read the book to find out what tattoo he gets if he defaults again.
Kinch, lacking money, returns to the Guild. The Takers give him a job. He’s to accompany the woman he tried to rob in the forest. This woman, Galva, is a hero of the Goblin Wars, and she’s a badass. Her quest means traveling to the north where giants have left their homes to invade the lands of humans. Kinch and Galva journey across the Manreach carrying their own secrets.
Buehlman has a lot going on in The Blacktongue Thief. The world building is wonderful; it has depth to it. The world feels lived in. Kinch is a helluva narrator. I loved his voice, and I loved the characters Buehlman built. Galva is the strong silent type, but she’s got more going on that just that. Oh, and there’s a blind cat that’s adorable.
The Goblin Wars
Buehlman has built quite the world here. The Blacktongue Thief lives in the shadow of a series of Goblin Wars. Three, IIRC. The goblins here are sinister, and they’re not like the standard D&D goblins. Buehlman’s descriptions are both creepy and fascinating. I’d love to see artwork of these goblins. Anyways, the war decimated the population of the manreach. In fact, the standard trope of men and boys going off to the war is used here, but the goblins return after decimating the men and boys of a certain age. Thus, the women and any people left had to go to war. Buehlman describes the goblin wars as pure hell. The Blacktongue Thief in no way glorifies war, and Buehleman takes it a bit further than most fantasies by adding the use of biological weapons.
While the goblin wars aren’t the main part of the story, they make this world so great. Horrors are committed by both sides. Human magicians created monstrosities and giant war crows to battle the goblin menace. It makes the setting dystopic because they are living in the aftermath of devastating wars. Life is cheap, and people do what is needed to survive. It adds just another layer to an already deep world.
World Building
Whether it’s magical tattoo’s or the deadly assassins, the horrors of the goblin wars or the depravity of human sorcerers, the human bureaucracy or interpersonal kindness, The Blacktongue Thief takes place in a wondrous yet uninviting world. Survival is tough, and their world requires a certain harshness. But that doesn’t mean beauty or love is absent. The Blacktongue Thief has an intriguing setting that I look forward to exploring more. I feel like it just started opening up as the story came to a close.
Kinch na Shannack
Kinch makes The Blacktongue Thief such a wonderful read. His voice is always entertaining, and the way he views the world lightens the dark setting. He’s a rogue through and through, and he worships the god of mischief. Kinch is a devout worshiper as well. Never once did he pass up the opportunity to praise his god by creating mischief. In addition, he’s a thief trained by the Taker’s Guild, where he learned a little magic, a lot of thievery, and more.
Kinch is a character in more than one sense, and if a reader likes an irreverent child-like mind, then they’re gonna like this book. Kinch’s voice and descriptions carry the reader quickly through the book. He’s funny, and he balances out the horrible world he lives in. For me, he elevated this from a good to a great story. His descriptions, his phrases, and his love of a blind cat had me waiting to see what came next.
The Guilds and Shadow Governments
The politics of The Blacktongue Thief would seem to be that of the monarchy. However, the Takers Guild runs a shadow government that works for its own prosperity. They will interfere in monarchical affairs when it suits their agenda. It’s well done here, and I thought about how assassins and thieves really would have outsized influence in a magical world. The Takers have an ominous air from the beginning, and their ruthlessness is literally tattooed on the protagonists face. This extra layer to the political world is excellent. I like it when stories layer extra-governmental organizations, like a guild or a religion, on top of traditional governmental forms. Beuhlman does it well. Kinch even lets us in on their internal hierarchy, which is fascinating.
Conclusion
Christopher Buehlman’s The Blacktongue Thief rocked. Its irreverent yet insightful main character carries this story through the brutal world of the manreach. Buehlman created a world worth exploring, and The Blacktongue Thief opens an dark but thrilling new series in the best way.
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman is available from Tor Books on May 25th, 2021.
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